Heritage

The Washington Post published an article yesterday (link here) about the numerous connections between the ultra-conservative LGBT-hating Heritage Foundation and the Trump Administration.

While the article ostensibly is about how Donald Trump's first budget is pretty much a carbon-copy of Heritage's budget document, it further details the dozens of administration nominees and White House staff who have come from the Foundation, not to mention other policies that have been provided wholesale by Heritage.

Further, while campaigning, Trump repeatedly promised to pretty much let the Heritage Foundation pick federal judges and Supreme Court justices for him. That's one promise he has not broken so far; his first Supreme Court nominee was at the top of Heritage's list.

The Foundation was a prominent player during the Reagan and two Bush administrations and strongly influenced White House policy and personnel during those years. Now, however, Heritage influence is much stronger during the Trump administration to the point where they've all but assumed control of policy for large portions of the federal government.

The Foundation is primarily funded by some of the most politically powerful and deeply conservative billionaires in America: the Koch family, the Coors, the Mercers, the Scaifes, the De Vos family, and more. While some of them individually are not particularly anti-LGBT, others are, and the Heritage Foundation certainly is very hostile to LGBT rights.

Bookending the piece I wrote here yesterday about how Trump is succeeding at building a plutocratic United States to benefit the ultra-rich, today's linked article gives us a glimpse of who is steering that policy via Heritage -- ultra-rich billionaires who want even bigger tax cuts for themselves, a weaker government subservient to their wishes, and an anti-progressive agenda.

Before running for President, Trump was never affiliated with Heritage types, but he obviously realized they were a means toward his end of self-enriching himself through the White House. He harnessed himself to their power, and now he's doing their bidding.

Along the way, most Americans will be worse off because of Heritage policies, but some of us may be hurt even more, particularly those of us in the LGBT community.